One More Chance
by gari10
Summary: Jane stood on Maura's doorstep her breathing ragged. "I am so sorry, Maur. I am so…sorry. All I am asking for is one more chance." The doctor stood there looking back at her with tears in her eyes. Silence. I do not own the characters or show.
1. Chapter 1

Jane stood on Maura's doorstep her breathing ragged.

"I am so sorry, Maur. I am so…sorry. All I am asking for is one more chance."

The doctor stood there looking back at her with tears in her eyes. Silence.

/

_Earlier that day_

"What do we got?" Detective Rizzoli asked as she approached the scene.

"Female victim, looks to be in her early 30s with wounds to the face and head," Doctor Isles said.

"Did she die from those marks?"

"I can't tell you anything until I get back…"

"Back to autopsy…Yes I know, Doc." Jane said with a small smile.

Maura stood from her position over the body to face her friend. "I will see you in autopsy, detective," she said as she walked by her arm brushing against the raven haired woman. This eliciting a certain spark she could only get from her.

"Yep. I'll be there." Jane tried to brush off her feelings with a simple remark.

The two headed to their separate cars for their trips back to the precinct. Rizzoli was dreading another long case involving the death of a young female. She was tired of seeing people get their lives ripped away from them for senseless reasons. It reminded her every day of how short life can be, and how she did not want to live with any regrets or things left unsaid.

When it comes down to it, Jane Rizzoli may be a badass at work and when chasing down perps, but when it comes to her personal life she is the biggest chicken there is. "I am such a scared loser," she says out loud to no one while driving. "I have got to figure this crap out."

Back at the precinct, was already with the body getting ready to begin her work. She has seen everything in her many years of medical training and work with Boston homicide. She desires to one day not live her life alone, but she is aware of her own quirks and social mishaps along with her fierce independence.

Her fears represented different things than that of her friend. She had the guts to just go for it sometimes; what she fears is the repercussions of her actions. "I can't lose the only person who has shown care for me," she says to the dead woman on her cold slab. "But I also can't live with this lie either; everyone knows I am no good with secrets." She continues laughing slightly at her inabilities to be dishonest.

The doctor heard the familiar sound of her friend's boots approaching and turned to greet her as she came in the morgue.

"Hello, Jane. I was just getting started here."

"Great! I am glad I didn't miss anything good."

The two stood in silence for what seemed like hours for the doctor.

"Actually," Maura began, "Could you come with me to my office for a moment?"

"Sure." Jane followed her into her impeccably decorated office. "What's up?" She now stood facing the honey blonde by her desk. The detective could sense her friend's nervousness and was concerned. "Is everything ok, Maur?"

Maura did not answer. She just stood there looking at Jane contemplating her actions. "This could ruin everything…" she whispered.

"What are you talking about?" Jane was racking her brain trying to get on the same wave length as her genius friend. She could see the doctor taking steps towards her hesitantly. She could feel her own body humming with every step that brought them closer. "Maura, you are gonna have to tell me wha…"

And before she could finish her thought she felt the softest lips she has ever felt on her cheek. There was so much warmth, and it was over almost before it began. Jane stood there completely shocked and unsure if that actually just happened.

"Say something…please." Maura said quietly, looking at her best friend.

Jane kept her gaze on the doctor for a few seconds more; then she did something she didn't think she would do. She turned and walked out of the doctor's office, out of the morgue, and out of the building.

/


	2. Chapter 2

_Midday_

Jane drove to her apartment with her head completely spinning. "What just happened?" She finally reached her destination and quickly headed up the stairs hoping to get a moment to figure all this out.

She opened her fridge, immediately grabbed a bear, and headed for her couch. Jo Friday joined her snuggling into her side. "Maura just kissed me on the cheek." Jo Friday looks up at her almost like she has the ability to understand exactly what is going on.

Jane's inner monologue continued for what seemed like an eternity.

_Did that really happen? What did it really mean? Does she have feelings for me? Is this what I want?... And there is the main question, Jane. Is this what I want? _

She smiles so big it almost makes her start giggling.

_Of course this is what I want. She is everything I want. Why am I so scared? Why did I walk away? O ya, because I am a scared loser. Pull yourself together, Rizzoli. This is Maura we are talking about. She is your best friend. You spend all your time with her already. She is who you want when you are hurt. She is who you think about all the time. She is who you want to keep safe. She is….She just is. And that is all that matters. I love her...period. I am such an idiot. I just walked away from the one person I love. I have to fix this._

Jane looked at the clock on the wall, "She should be home by now." She grabbed her keys and headed out the door.

/

Maura sat on her own couch in her big, empty house staring at her glass of red wine. She had left the office not too long after Jane did; she needed to get away and be alone. As soon as she arrived home she got out of the dress she had been in and went for her comfy heartbroken look. She sat there in yoga pants and an oversized sweat shirt.

_I can't believe I did that today. I can't believe she walked away. When will I learn that people always walk away. That will teach me for sure. I mean it was just a kiss on the cheek. I didn't profess my undying love, though I could, but then she would probably never speak to me again. What is she so afraid of; I mean I am scared too! That was a risk I took today, but I had to know. Jane is so loyal, fierce, and stubborn. I wish she would just open her eyes and see what I see. She is amazing, always looking out for others and me, and she is dependable. I love her. But today Jane Rizzoli you broke me._

The doctor continued to sit there on her couch going back and forth between beating herself up and being upset at her best friend. She was brought out of her thoughts by a small knock on the door and a voice that was unmistakable.

"Maura, open the door please."


	3. Chapter 3

_Late Evening_

Maura sat on the couch frozen as the knocking continued.

"Please open up." Jane begged from the other side.

The doctor finally made her way over to the door and opened it wide placing herself right in the doorway making it clear she was not letting her in. "What do you want, Jane. It's late."

"Maura, I …" Jane could barely get her words out. She was at a lost for them and her heart was pounding so fast she couldn't catch her breath; it was like she had ran there.

"What, Jane. What do you have to say?"

Jane stood on Maura's doorstep her breathing ragged.

"I am so sorry, Maur. I am so…sorry. All I am asking for is one more chance."

The doctor stood there looking back at her with tears in her eyes. Silence.

Maura took this moment to really look at Jane and to try to compose herself. Truth be told, she was hurt and kind of angry. "You want another chance?...You walked away today, Jane." She continued with tears in her eyes and pain in her voice. "You left me standing in my office after I kissed you, after I took a chance, and opened up myself to you."

"I know and I am sorry. It caught me off guard, and I ran because I was scared." Jane said sadly.

"You are not the only one that is scared, Jane." Maura finally started to let her tone sound more relaxed. "I knew that there was a chance I could lose you and ruin our friendship with that kiss."

"You didn't ruin anything, Maur." Jane reached out to take her hand. "I have wanted to do that for a long time, but I was just too scared…too afraid to be that vulnerable…and too afraid that I would just hurt you." She paused. "Looks like I hurt you anyways."

Maura allowed her fingers to intertwine with the detectives. "Jane, there is always a risk with these kind of things. Always a chance we absolutely hurt each other. Matters of the heart tend to be that way."

"I can't lose you, Maur" It was a simple statement that carried a lot of weight and meant a lot to both of them.

"You won't, because I can't lose you either."

"So how about it, doc. Can I have one more chance?"

Maura hesitated for a moment and then stood to the side so Jane could step into the house. She took a deep breath before her answer. "Don't break my heart, Jane," she whispered with such vulnerability.

The brunette took her hand and lifted the smaller woman's chin up. "Never again will I do that." Her words filled with so much promise.

"One more chance then, Jane." Maura said with a small smile.

"There is something else I would like one more chance at, doctor."

"What is that?"

Jane place her hands around her waist letting them settle lightly on her back. She pulled the smaller woman close and leaned down to give her a peck on the cheek. Maura's hands went to wrap around her neck and slowly pulled her back down.

"You missed, detective." The doctor said with a slight smirk.

The two stood in the doorway of that big, now not so empty, house and kissed gently yet hesitantly for the first time. It was short, sweet, and made their hearts happy.

"I get more than one chance at that right?" Jane asked while giggling, refusing to let go of the honey blonde.

Maura lightly smacked the taller woman's arms and laughed out loud. The sound made Jane's heart soar.

"I will take that as a yes," as she leaned in for another.


End file.
